TJ’s Petition (Part 3) by Rochelle Campbell

On March 20, it did not rain. Each day was an agonizing drain on TJ. It didn’t rain until the late evening of March 31.

Heather materialized after dinner and waited until TJ entered the room.

“Quick, set up all of the items. Put them all in a clear glass bowl. Collect the rain in a new glass object.”

TJ had begun bustling about and was digging in the trunk when she popped her head up. “New?! Why didn’t you tell me that before? I don’t have any new glass objects!”

“Stop it. We have no time to argue. What about your mother? She must have something new.”

“Rrrgh! Fine. I’ll go look.” TJ stomped out of the room.

Heather heard the young witch’s heavy tread on the stairs and wondered for the hundredth time where the girl managed to get a nugget of gold. The ghost went over to the window and opened it allowing the cool soft misting rain to splatter on the window sill. After only a few minutes, Heather heard TJ’s feet race up the stairs.

“Here! She’s got new wine glasses down in the china cabinet with the stickers still on ‘em in the box. I can put it back when we’re done. And, here’s the clear bowl, too.”

Heather grabbed the glass by the stem and took it to the open window. “Put the other items in the bowl so they’re ready.”

It took 10 long minutes to get what Heather believed would be enough for three drops.

“I always hated this type of spitting rain,” Heather grumbled to herself. As she turned to head over to TJ, it hit her. She was about satisfy the higher calling. Shaking a bit, she continued across the room. Heather checked TJ’s aura. The blight had grown at a faster rate, covering the left side of TJ’s aura with its grey-black murkiness. Heather feared that the boyfriend was indeed unable to protect his paramour any longer. Sighing, she stood next to TJ who was adjusting the black robe.

“Actually, you don’t need that. Take it off.”

“But, I like it! It feels so witchy!”

“Precisely why you don’t need it tonight. You have to be as pure as possible for this to work. Put on white clothes instead. Anything white will do. Go, quickly.”

With a frown on her face, TJ undid the robe’s clasp and took of the moon and stars necklace as well. She dug through her drawers and found a white t-shirt and leggings. Pulling them on she came back over to the edge of the bed where they had set up and stood still waiting for Heather to cue her.

Heather took a deep breath and said, “Protector of All Spirits, please guide these two star-crossed lovers back into one another’s arms. She needs his protection, and he hers. Take these offerings of love, wealth and earth and commingle them so Tinnae Jean can cross the barrier and be with the one who loves her most.” Heather dipped her finger in the wine glass then held it over the bowl. A drop fell from her forefinger. She did it two more times.

On the final drop a soft warm white light suffused the edges of their vision. This reality’s wallpaper peeled back and a sizeable tear could be seen large enough for TJ to crawl through.

“Go. That’s for you.”

TJ stared at her. “He’s not coming here?”

Heather shook her head. “You have to go to him.” Even as she spoke, Heather saw the blight trying to devour her aura fully. “Tinnae Jean—go now!”

TJ turned, walked over to the tear and crawled through it. A loud inhuman shriek could be heard as TJ disappeared. The hole in the time-space continuum closed and Heather was left alone in the room.

Using her own third eye, she tracked TJ’s progress through the labyrinths until she came to her old sleeping quarters. Her boyfriend was still there sleeping on his cot. He was thin. Heather could see his ribs underneath the flamboyant embroidered golden vest. TJ hugged him. He opened one eye weakly and gave a half grin.

“I saved you…” he croaked.

“You did! Thank you, Anhur.”

Heather smiled broadly as she felt the feather-light white gossamer wings emerge from her shoulder blades. She threw her head back and laughed as she clapped her hands. “Now, for my first act of kindness…” She wiggled her fingers that were now alabaster white and concentrated on Anhur’s body. Heather infused his form with all of the white-hot love of the Universe willing him to drink deeply of this elixir.

Heather, from the room, and TJ next to him, watched as his head flung back and his mouth opened allowing a vortex of white light, beaming down from the ceiling, to enter his body. For several long moments, his body was rigid, taut, as the life-giving energy replenished his life force.

From the room, thousands of years removed, Heather beamed as the light waned and Anhur’s body relaxed into regular normal restorative sleep.

TJ beamed. She looked up and around and saw nothing but knew she was not alone. Having nowhere else to look she glanced upward and said, “I thank you with all my heart, Heather. Hetep.” TJ, having learned her lesson, picked up Anhur and dragged him out of Heather’s line of sight.

In the room, Heather smiled and waved at the couple. She was pleased to see that the blight was completely gone from the young girl’s aura. Looking about the room, Heather sighed. It would be tough on TJ’s mother but the girl was now back on her correct destiny’s path. What was a little disappearance in the scheme of things?

With a shrug, Heather shrunk down to an effective traveling size and zipped out of the window to find her next mission.